Strawberry plant named ‘DrisStrawNine’

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named ‘DrisStrawNine’. A new cultivar primarily characterized by its small hollow center, early to medium flowering time, everbearing fruit, low number of achenes per berry, and moderate resistance to Strawberry Mottle Virus is disclosed.

Genus and species: Fragaria×ananassa.

Variety denomination: ‘DrisStrawNine’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry cultivar designated ‘DrisStrawNine’ and botanically known as Fragaria×ananassa. This new strawberry cultivar was discovered in Summer, 2004 in Monterey, Calif. and originated from a cross between the female parent ‘94J283’, a proprietary strawberry plant (unpatented) and the male parent ‘112H25’, a proprietary strawberry plant (unpatented). The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated at a nursery in Monterey, Calif. ‘DrisStrawNine’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing at a nursery in Monterey, Calif. for five years. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs show typical specimens of the new cultivar at various stages of development as nearly true as it is possible to make in color reproductions. The photograph is of a plant about 7 months old.

FIG. 1 shows overall plant habit including fruit at various stages of development.

FIG. 2 shows leaves of the plant with three leaflets.

FIG. 3 shows both the upperside and underside of several of the flowers.

FIG. 4 shows the whole fruit.

FIG. 5 shows the fruit in longitudinal cross-section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following description of ‘DrisStrawNine’ is based on observations taken from the 2004 to 2008 growing seasons in Monterey, Calif. This description is in accordance with UPOV terminology. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions. ‘DrisStrawNine’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Color terminology follows The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, London (R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Table 1 shows plant characteristics of the new variety compared with plant characteristics of the commercial varieties, ‘Driscoll Lanai’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,145) and ‘San Juan’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,899). Plant characteristics include plant height, diameter, number of crowns per plant, habit, density of individual plant and vigor.

TABLE 1 Characteristic ‘DrisStrawNine’ ‘Driscoll Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Plant height 20.9 25.1 24.7 (cm) Plant diameter 32.9 36.5 38.9 (cm) Number of 3 3 3 crowns/plant Habit Upright Flat globose Globose Density of Medium Medium Between medium individual plant and dense Vigor Weak Medium Medium

Table 2 shows leaf characteristics of the new cultivar compared with leaf characteristics of ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. Leaf characteristics include terminal leaflet length and width in centimeters, length to width ratio, number of teeth per terminal leaflet, shape of teeth, color of upperside and underside of leaf, leaf shape in cross section, leaf blistering, leaf glossiness, number of leaflets, leaflet margin, leaflet shape, shape of leaf apex and shape of leaf base.

TABLE 2 Leaf Characteristic ‘DrisStrawNine’ ‘Driscoll Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Terminal 6.8 7.9 7.4 leaflet length (cm) Terminal 7.2 7.6 7.9 leaflet width (cm) Terminal 1.0 1.0 0.9 leaflet length/width ratio Terminal As long as broad As long as broad As long as leaflet: broad length/width ratio No. 24 23 25 teeth/terminal leaflet Shape of teeth Rounded Rounded Rounded Color of RHS 147A RHS 147A RHS 147A upperside of Dark yellow- Dark yellow- Dark yellow- leaf green green green Color of RHS 147B RHS 147C RHS 147B underside of Medium Medium yellow- Medium yellow- leaf yellow-green green green Leaf shape in Concave Slightly concave Concave cross section Leaf blistering Medium Medium Weak Leaf Between medium Medium Medium glossiness and strong No. leaflets Three only Three only Three only Terminal Flat Revolute Revolute leaflet margin Terminal Orbicular Orbicular Orbicular leaflet shape Terminal Rounded Rounded Rounded leaflet shape of base Terminal Rounded Rounded Rounded leaflet shape of apex

Table 3 shows information about the petiole, the petiolule, the bract, and the stipule of the new cultivar compared to ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. This includes petiole length in centimeters, petiole diameter in centimeters, petiolule length in centimeters, petiolule diameter in centimeters, bract frequency per petiole, stipule length in centimeters, stipule width in centimeters, stipule pubescence, petiole pubescence, pose of hairs on the petiole, color of the petiole, color of the petiolule and stipule anthocyanin coloration.

TABLE 3 Characteristic ‘DrisStrawNine’ ‘Driscoll Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Petiole length 11.2 13.6 11.0 (cm) Petiole 0.323 0.389 0.404 diameter (cm) Petiole Dense Dense Dense pubescence Petiole pose of Upwards Outwards Upwards hairs Petiole color RHS 145A RHS 144C RHS 144C Medium yellow- Medium yellow- Medium yellow- green green green Petiolule color RHS 145B RHS 144C RHS 145A Medium yellow- Medium yellow- Medium yellow- green green green Petiolule length 0.826 1.203 0.734 (cm) Petiolule 0.158 0.151 0.177 diameter (cm) Bract 1 0 1 frequency Stipule length 3.4 3.5 3.2 (cm) Stipule width 0.823 0.832 1.167 (cm) Stipule Medium Dense Dense pubescence Stipule Absent to very Absent to very Absent to very anthocyanin weak weak weak coloration

Table 4 shows stolon characteristics of the new cultivar compared to ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. These characteristics include the number of stolons, average number of daughter plants, the anthocyanin coloration of the stolons, the thickness of the stolons, and the pubescence of the stolons.

TABLE 4 Characteristic ‘DrisStrawNine’ ‘Driscoll Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Stolon number Medium Many Between medium and many Average 35 17 57 number of daughter plants Stolon Medium Strong Strong anthocyanin Stolon Medium Between medium Medium thickness and thick Stolon Sparse Dense Medium pubescence

Table 5 shows inflorescence characteristics of the new cultivar compared to ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. These characteristics include inflorescence position relative to foliage, relative flower size, flower diameter in centimeters (measured from petal tip to petal tip), petal shape, petal apex shape, petal base shape, petal margin, relative spacing of petals, petal length in centimeters, petal width in centimeters, petal length to width ratio, typical number of petals observed, petal color, calyx diameter in centimeters (measured on back of flower from sepal tip to sepal tip), diameter of calyx relative to corolla, diameter of inner calyx relative to outer, sepal shape, sepal apex shape, sepal margin, sepal length in centimeters (measured from sepal tip to point of attachment to receptacle), sepal width in centimeters, typical number of sepals observed, receptacle color and anther color.

TABLE 5 Characteristic ‘DrisStrawNine’ ‘Driscoll Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Inflorescence Above Above Above position relative to foliage Flower size Medium Medium Medium Flower 2.920 2.835 2.850 diameter (cm) Petal shape Orbicular Orbicular Orbicular Petal apex Rounded Rounded Rounded Petal margin Entire Entire Entire Petal base Concave-convex Concave-convex Concave-convex shape Petal spacing Overlapping Overlapping Overlapping Petal length 1.257 1.133 1.227 (cm) Petal width 1.332 1.200 1.339 (cm) Petal length/ 0.9 0.9 0.9 width ratio Typical and 7 6 6 observed petal number Petal length/ As long as broad Longer than Longer than width ratio broad broad Petal color RHS 155B White RHS 155B RHS 155C White White Calyx diameter 3.573 3.647 3.969 (cm) Calyx diameter Larger Between larger Larger relative to and much larger corolla Inner calyx Same size Same size Same size diameter relative to outer Sepal shape Elliptical Elliptical Elliptical Sepal apex Convex Convex Convex Sepal margin Entire Entire Entire Sepal length 1.318 1.297 1.330 (cm) Sepal width 0.647 0.560 1.266 (cm) Typical and 14 13 13 observed sepal number Receptacle RHS 2B Medium RHS 150B RHS 2B Medium color yellow Medium yellow- yellow green Anther color RHS 22A RHS N167C RHS 163B Medium yellow- Light greyed- Medium greyed- orange orange orange

Table 6 shows fruit characteristics of the new cultivar compared to ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’.

TABLE 6 ‘Driscoll Characteristic ‘DrisStrawNine’ Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Fruiting truss 16.9 22.2 25.1 length (cm) Fruiting truss 0.512 0.360 0.481 diameter (cm) Number of 4 4 4 berries per fruiting truss Fruiting truss Semi-erect Semi-erect Semi-erect attitude Fruiting truss Medium Long Long length Truss color RHS 144A RHS 144A RHS 144A Medium yellow- Medium yellow- Medium yellow- green green green Fruit length 4.274 4.327 4.857 (cm) Fruit width 4.222 4.431 4.603 (cm) Fruit length/ 1.0 1.0 1.1 width ratio Fruit length/ As long as broad As long as As long as width ratio broad broad Fruit weight (g) 23.1 25.6 28.0 Relative fruit Medium Medium Large size Predominant Conical Conical Conical fruit shape Difference in Slight Slight Slight shape between primary & sec- ondary fruits Band without Narrow Narrow Narrow achenes Unevenness of Weak Between Medium fruit surface medium and strong Fruit skin color RHS 46A Dark RHS 46A Dark RHS 53A red red Dark red Evenness of Even Even Even fruit color Fruit glossiness Medium Medium Between medium and strong Insertion of Level with Above surface Below surface achenes surface Achene RHS 184A Dark RHS 183C RHS 180B coloration- greyed-purple Dark greyed- Dark greyed- sunward side of purple red berry Achene RHS 153B RHS 152B RHS 150B light coloration- Medium yellow- medium yellow- yellow-green shaded side of green green berry Achenes per 320 345 397 berry Achene weight 0.0005525 0.000497336 0.000558419 (g) Insertion of Level Level Level calyx Pose of calyx Spreading Reflexed Reflexed segments Size of calyx in Larger Larger Between relation to fruit smaller and same size Adherence of Strong Medium Strong calyx Firmness of Medium Medium Firm flesh Color of the RHS 155C White RHS 155A RHS 155B flesh and RHS 41A White and RHS White and RHS medium red 41B medium 41A medium red red Evenness of Uneven Slightly uneven Slightly uneven flesh color Distribution of Marginal and Marginal and Marginal and flesh color central central central Fruit hollow 1.341 2.055 2.169 length (cm) Fruit hollow 1.023 0.774 0.738 width (cm) Fruit hollow 1.3 2.7 2.9 length/width ratio Hollow center Small Medium Small Sweetness Medium Medium Strong Acidity Medium Medium Weak Texture when Medium Medium Fine tasted Time of Between early Between early Between early flowering and medium and medium and medium Harvest Late March to Late March to Late March to maturity (50% early November early early of plants with November November ripe fruit) Type of Fully everbearing Partially Partially bearing everbearing everbearing Grams of 1,505 1,609 1,412 fruit/plant

Table 7 shows pest and disease characteristics of the new cultivar compared to ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’.

TABLE 7 Pest or Disease ‘DrisStrawNine’ ‘Driscoll Lanai’ ‘San Juan’ Tetranychus Moderately Susceptible Moderately urticae (2- susceptible susceptible spotted spider mite) Botrytis fruit Susceptible Susceptible Susceptible rot Powdery Between Susceptible Susceptible mildew moderately susceptible and susceptible Verticillium Susceptible Moderately Susceptible wilt susceptible Viral diseases- Moderately Moderately Moderately Strawberry resistant resistant resistant Mottle Virus Xanthomonas Moderately Moderately Moderately fragariae susceptible susceptible susceptible 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant, as described and shown herein. 